


Going to a Town

by chiasmus



Series: Modern AU [3]
Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Friendship, M/M, Memories, Siblings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-09-07
Updated: 2011-09-07
Packaged: 2017-10-23 12:27:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/250293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chiasmus/pseuds/chiasmus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charles and Emma take a weekend trip to visit her older brother, Christian. Erik accompanies them and learns a little about their days at the Massachusetts Academy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Going to a Town

**Author's Note:**

> I am working with a very loose knowledge of Emma's brother. Reference to a really terrible movie.

Emma returned home and found Charles singing along with the radio while he set the dinner table. He had a ridiculous fondness for Eighties music and by extension she had a vaster knowledge of the genre than she necessarily wanted. Currently, he provided backup vocals to Morrissey. She walked past him to get a bottle of Pamplamousse Rose Perrier and filled a glass with ice. “I had hoped your almost maniac cheer would have dialed down now that you should have the _gravitas_ of a professor and everything,” Emma said while she poured her drink.

“Of course not, darling. And I’m not a professor yet, this is just a summer teaching appointment,” Charles said, smiling.

“Close enough. It would be ridiculous for them to not keep you,” Emma said dismissively. “Is Erik working late?”

Charles started moving food to the table. Emma helped by observing. “No, but I thought we could have a nice dinner together.”

Emma studied him for a moment. “What do you want?”

“What makes you think I have an ulterior motive?

“Instinct, and because whenever you don’t give me a direct answer, you do.”

Charles gave her an exasperated look. “I was planning to build up to asking you what I wanted.”

“Ask me now. You will not sway me with food,” Emma said.

“Can I invite Erik with us this weekend?” Charles asked, side-eying her.

Of course, Charles requested one thing Emma didn’t want to concede. “No.”

“Emma, I think you should give him another chance,” Charles said.

“Why?”

“It would be nice if the two of you could get along.”

“The world isn’t a nice place.”

“Yes, but I can try to make my microcosm as pleasant as possible. Furthermore, it’s far too soon to inflict my parents upon him, but I’d like him to meet Christian.”

“This is the first time you’ve brought a boy home to meet my older brother since the Academy,” Emma mocked. The tradition had started back then. None of them knew what would constitute a sensible family structure, so by virtue of age Christian became his own sort of Litmus test for would-be suitors in the past. It was silly, but it wasn’t entirely devoid of significance.

“I haven’t had one since then I wanted him to meet,” Charles said, trying and failing to be nonchalant as he picked the olives out of the salad for himself.

Emma stole a couple from him, regarding him silently for a moment. She nudged against his mind and he let her in; his sincerity was an almost palpable force. “All right, since it means that much to you. But I am setting ground rules.”

“Anything,” Charles said, grinning wide. “As long as you don’t stipulate that we strap Erik to the roof of the car, or stash him in the trunk.”

The words drew a smile. “If he breaks the rules, then he might go in the trunk on the way back,” Emma said.

“Fair enough, if you can keep him in there.”

“I have ways.”

–

Emma wasn’t sure what coercive techniques, if any, Charles used on Erik, but Erik had agreed to her terms. There had only been three: the first, that Erik was not allowed to insult her brother; the second, that Charles and Erik could not spend the car ride either way making out in the backseat; and the third, that they were similarly forbidden from having sex anywhere in Christian’s home (and for that matter her car, after Charles accidentally pointed out the loophole). Charles had protested, not convincingly, they wouldn’t do any of those things to begin with, but had promised to abide as well.

Erik came downstairs shortly after she pulled up to the curb in front of his apartment building. The location wasn’t as far away as Emma hoped, but it also wasn’t an area she frequented with any sort of regularity. He appeared surly in a pair of aviator sunglasses, a white polo, and khaki pants, a leather overnight bag slung over one shoulder and a briefcase in hand.

Charles got out of the car and greeted Erik warmly. Emma popped the trunk of her car and sent an impatient _tick, tock_ Charles’ way since she already wanted to be on the road, which would not be aided by Charles molesting Erik on the street.

_I am not molesting him,_ Charles said.

_Hands above the waist,_ Emma chided.

_I was tucking in the back of his shirt._

Emma shook her head, but withdrew from his mind.

With a critical eye Erik looked over Emma’s car. “Not bad,” he said. “But mine is much better.”

“I sincerely doubt that,” Emma said.

“We could take it instead and you can find out,” Erik said.

Charles took Erik’s bag from him, put it away, and closed the trunk. “Dear, from what I’ve experienced thus far, I don’t trust your highway driving enough for long trips.”

“This isn’t that long of a trip,” Erik said.

Charles grimaced, getting in the passenger seat. “It’s more than an hour.”

Erik got in the backseat behind Charles. “But less than five.”

“You drive a vintage sports car. It’s not practical,” Charles said.

“Thus why I’m not taking out the Aston Martin,” Emma said, starting to navigate through traffic.

“You own an Aston Martin,” Erik repeated, dubious, but still a statement and not a question.

Emma smirked. “Of course I do. I had to waste my trust fund on something and only the best would do.”

“There are better cars at that level,” Erik said.

“Can we not start the car debate? Please?” Charles asked.

“Only if I can have control of the radio.” Emma said.

Charles bit his lower lip, torn. Normally he shuffled through his iPod and satellite radio stations with impunity, since giving him free reign was easier than trying to stop him unless there was some other leverage to use against him. In this case, Charles had zero interest regarding cars and other things of that sort. “All right,” he agreed.

Erik snorted.

“Trust me, you don’t want Charles to play DJ for the two hour drive out to Northampton,” Emma said.

“Considering that I woke up to him singing the Cure in the shower the other day, I believe you,” Erik said wryly.

“Just wait until he’s feeling disco.”

“You both need to continue broadening your musical spectra.”

“And I’m sure you’ll take it upon yourself whether either of us want you to or not,” Erik said.

“Of course,” Charles said cheerily. “I would be remiss otherwise. More with you, since I’ve had years to work on Emma.”

“Lucky me,” Erik said.

–

Christian was the only member of Emma’s blood family who mattered. He had spent a few years on the opposite coast after he dropped out of Harvard and needed the space from their father. Emma understood his reasoning, but it was good to have him nearer again, where she could leave on a Friday afternoon and still reach him before sundown.

“You’re as stunning as ever, my dear little sister,” Christian said in greeting.

Emma embraced her brother. “You, on the other hand, look exhausted.”

“I wanted everything perfect for my guests,” he said.

Christian then turned to Charles. “And Charles, it’s so good to see you again.”

Charles hugged Christian. Emma noted the way Erik frowned and the less-than-subtle step closer he took to Charles. “It’s good to see you, too, Christian. Now let me introduce you to Erik, he’s my--” and Charles faltered, glancing at Erik.

“Boyfriend,” Erik supplied, as though that should be obvious.

Christian smiled at Erik and extended his hand. “Nice to meet you, Erik.”

Erik didn’t return the smile, but he at least had the civility for the handshake. “You as well.”

“Come inside, all of you. I’ll get dinner started, so feel free to make yourselves at home,” Christian said.

“I’ll help,” Charles offered, gaze moving to Erik, who shrugged.

–

Charles and Christian both enjoyed cooking and had taken over the kitchen, catching up since Charles hadn’t seen Christian in a longer time than Emma. Erik lingered, but Emma went outside to sit on the front porch with a book. Sometime after, Erik joined her, though he didn’t say anything. At first, Emma only watched him surreptitiously then continued reading, but the longer he stayed out there scowling at Christian’s tomato plant it became harder to ignore him. She mentally sighed. “Do you have something against tomatoes?”

“No.”

“You look like you’re about to massacre them,” Emma said.

Erik’s thoughts remained as closed as ever, but his posture gave much away. His shoulders were squared, a wall of agitation, held too perfectly still. He faced away from Emma, a beer bottle held in one hand, fingers wrapped tight around the brown glass. “I’m not,” he said.

Though Emma didn’t particularly care about Erik’s state of being, Charles did, and she cared about Charles. She didn’t want Erik to snap later leaving Charles to take the recoil, so she persisted in the topic since, unlike Charles, her feelings wouldn’t be hurt by anything Erik might say. “Then why are you looking at them in such an angry fashion?”

“I’m not,” Erik repeated the same words again, this time more defensively.

“You’re obviously bothered by something.”

“If I am, that doesn’t mean it’s any of your business.”

“Despite my misgivings, Charles really likes you, which makes it partially my business. If nothing else go condense a tin can into a pea or whatever it is you do to blow off steam, so you don’t take it out on him unnecessarily later,” Emma said, annoyed by Erik’s purposefully obtuse replies.

Erik looked at her - stared, really - and frowned. This shifted into a different gradation than the petulant hostility directed towards the tomato plant, closer to shock with the way his eyes had widened a fraction and the hesitation before he responded. “I wouldn’t do that,” he said firmly, his tone similar to the one Emma used during business meetings, one that would brook no argument.

Though there was the possibility Erik was overcompensating with how emphatically he said the words, Emma believed him. “Maybe not intentionally,” she conceded.

Erik took another drink. “I don’t do this,” he said.

“What do you mean by ‘this’?”

“Coming out to spend the weekend with a complete stranger and someone with whom I have next to no common ground,” Erik said.

“Why did you?” Emma asked, curious and devoid of animosity.

“Why did you let Charles invite me?” Erik returned.

“Because he asked me to and it's important to him,” Emma said.

“And I agreed to come for essentially the same reason,” Erik said. “I still wasn’t aware he was quite so … close to your brother.”

“Christian was two years ahead of us at the Academy. He was kind of like having a sane parent at times,” Emma said.

“Charles mentioned as much. It’s different to see them interact,” Erik said.

Emma didn’t have anything to say to that, since while it was basically true, she didn’t have any reassurances to offer Erik. Generally she never bothered with platitudes unless there was some specific advantage to offering them and Erik wasn’t going to be an exception; she doubted he would welcome them anyway, even if she were the sort to dispense them.

Before the silence became awkward, Charles came outside to join them. “Is everything all right out here?” he asked.

“Basically, yes,” Emma said.

Charles’ expression went from slightly concerned to far too exuberant. Erik shook his head and Charles kissed the corner of his mouth. “The weekend is already off to a lovely start, if you’re both getting along,” Charles said.

“I think you’re overselling it,” Erik said, though he slid his arm around Charles’ waist and drew him against his side. The transformation was bizarre, since though Erik still didn’t look completely at ease, he was significantly less tense.

“Not at all. Any progress is worth celebrating,” Charles said, leaning into Erik.

Emma was inclined to agree with Erik rather than Charles, but she wasn’t yet ready to commit to that aloud. Instead, she got to her feet. “I’ll open a bottle of wine.”

–

Dinner was spent mostly enlightening Erik about Charles’ past life, like the play Christian’s final year at school, an adaptation of Doyle’s _A Scandal in Bohemia_.

“We each auditioned for a part,” Christian said. “Charles read for Watson, Emma for Holmes, and I for Irene Adler.”

“None of us were cast in the end, so we did our own alternative production,” Emma said, smiling from the memory. “We got a few other people to fill the rest of the roles.”

“It was quite good, if under appreciated,” Charles said.

“Did you dress up?” Erik asked, amused.

“Of course,” Emma said. “I designed the costumes and Christian made them. Charles made the props. Or at least tried to.”

“Some of it was abstract. It was a stylistic choice,” Charles said lightly.

“I still have photographs, somewhere,” Christian said. “I’ll dig them out.”

–

“Tomorrow we can also show you the first spot where Charles almost got arrested,” Christian said, apropos of nothing.

“That is one we do not need to relive,” Charles said, flushing this time.

“First implies there was more than one occasion,” Erik said.

“Excellent observation,” Christian said, ignoring Charles’ protest. “But the other two are elsewhere.”

–

Afterwards they went downstairs to watch a movie. Emma and Charles got the loveseat. Christian took the armchair and Erik sat on the floor in front of Charles, leaning back in the space between his legs. Charles’ hand idly toyed with Erik’s hair and Erik was far more content than Emma imagined him capable of being, a stark contrast to his initial displaced irritation earlier, even though Charles had picked the movie. Emma had her book at the ready and Christian wielded a deck of cards.

“I didn’t think you would be into terrible movies,” Erik said.

“I was waiting for an opportune time to spring one on you. They’re quite charming if you give them a chance,” Charles said.

Erik turned and gave Charles a skeptical look. “I’ve seen shitty movies before and remain unmoved.”

“But have you seen this one?”

“No, I can safely say I haven’t seen, or even heard of, _The Gingerdead Man_.”

“Then this could be an exception once you’ve gotten to know the cookie man.”

“Isn’t the cookie the serial killer in this one?” Christian wondered aloud.

“I believe so,” Emma said absently, already tuning out as much as she could while still following the conversation.

“You think I’ll be charmed by a killer cookie?” Erik asked.

“Mostly you should try to enjoy the sense of absurdity,” Charles said easily.

“Want to play Bullshit?” Christian directed to Erik.

“Yes, definitely,” Erik said.

“I’ll let you know when the good parts come up,” Charles said.

–

Erik and Charles stayed downstairs while Emma and Christian went outside for a smoking break.

“So, first impression?” Emma asked.

“It’s difficult to get a handle on him, but so far I like Erik,” Christian said. “He’s not as bad as I expected, from what little you had told me previously.”

“He’s been more tolerable today,” Emma admitted. “At least when Charles is around.”

“Charles talked about him while the two of you were out here earlier. He is so sickeningly smitten.”

“What did he say?”

“The give away wasn’t so much the content, but the effusive delivery and dopey smile,” Christian said, grinning.

“That sounds about right,” Emma said.

“Anyway.” Christian tapped the ashes off the end of his cigarette. “Have you heard from Moira lately?”

“Well, that’s abrupt,” Emma said dryly. “No, but Charles keeps in contact with her. Why do you ask?”

“Feeling nostalgic,” Christian said. “Tonight reminded me of that time at Harvard when we were laying around the Winthrop House library telling Moira stories about you. Only that time the stories made less sense and half of them weren’t true, since you never embarrassed yourself as often as Charles did. Debauchery Balls notwithstanding.”

“I’m so glad the occasion never arose for the two of you to do that around Sebastian,” Emma said, exhaling a line of smoke.

“Yeah, he provided enough bizarre stories about himself so the need didn’t arise the handful of times we both met him,” Christian said.

“Interesting ones, though,” Emma said.

“Never a boring moment,” Christian agreed. He finished his cigarette. “Shall we go back inside and see what the happy couple has gotten up to?”

“Hopefully not much, otherwise I have to figure out how to keep someone who can manipulate metal in my trunk for the way back,” Emma said, stubbing out her cigarette.

Christian quirked one brow. “I imagine lots of tranquilizers would be involved.”

“Which I don’t really feel like obtaining,” Emma said, following Christian inside.

–

Emma discovered that Erik had stolen her spot on the loveseat. Charles was cuddled up next to Erik and gave her a sheepish smile while Erik smirked. Emma rolled her eyes, but the smug expression was less grating than it had been when she first met Erik, tempered now by something genuine and - unquestionably, oddly - adoring when he looked at Charles after Charles elbowed him in the side. Three days ago, Emma would not have imagined that this would be what she saw at eleven o’clock on a Friday night, but for once, for Charles’ sake, she didn’t really mind that her expectations were not met.

**Author's Note:**

> I realize that I have been really remiss in updating this due to other ideas taking over/real life obligations, but I do still plan on writing more. This is one of those AU's that's just really self-indulgent and admittedly without an involved plot, so that's kind of why updates are on a when able basis. (Note added 18/02/2012.)


End file.
